1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle power generating apparatus designed to be installed in a hybrid vehicle or the like.
2. Background Art
As an example of a power generating apparatus for a series hybrid vehicle, JP 2011-73580 A (hereinafter referred to as “the Patent Literature”) discloses a type in which a generator, an engine (internal combustion engine) for driving the generator, and a fuel tank, are provided beneath a rear floor panel of a vehicle. The engine is a two-cylinder small-size reciprocating engine, and is disposed just below a rear seat. The generator is disposed rearward of the engine, and the fuel tank is disposed on a lateral side of the engine.
The Patent Literature mentions that the engine may be a single-rotor rotary engine. In this regard, the Patent Literature also mentions that the rotary engine is disposed in a posture where an eccentric shaft (output shaft) thereof extends in an up-down direction, whereby an up-down directional length of the engine can be shortened and thus a lowering in height position of the rear floor panel can be facilitated, as compared to the case of using a reciprocating engine.
However, in the Patent Literature, only the point of disposing the rotary engine in such a manner as to allow the eccentric shaft (output shaft) to extend in the up-down direction is disclosed as one measure to reduce an up-down directional occupied space of the power generating apparatus, but any other measure is not disclosed.
Moreover, in the power generating apparatus disclosed in the Patent Literature, the engine is disposed beneath the rear floor panel as mentioned above. This raises a need to avoid deterioration in ride comfort due to exhaust noise of the engine. Thus, it is also necessary to take into account this point when carrying out the above measure to reduce the occupied space of the power generating apparatus.